Fendi to Open in Brazil

The Roman fashion house is to open a flagship on Wednesday in São Paulo’s Cidade Jardim.

Thanks to Fendi, the latter will soon be part of the fashion mix in Brazil. The Roman fashion house, prized for its sables and inlaid minks, is to open a flagship on Wednesday in São Paulo’s Cidade Jardim, its first unit in South America’s largest country.

“There’s a growing appreciation for luxury there,” said chief executive officer Pietro Beccari, noting that Fendi welcomes many Brazilian clients at its boutique in Miami — and increasingly in Paris and Rome, too. “They travel a lot and they represent a very big potential for us. They buy all categories: our bags, ready-to-wear and furs. It’s about a Fendi silhouette.”

In Brazil, where the winter rarely goes below 50 degrees, selling fur coats may seem odd. Jean-Marc Gallot, managing director of Fendi Brazil, is aware of that, but believes the flagship couldn’t be launched with none of the trademarks of the brand. For the opening, almost 20 fur coats will hang on the racks. A mink coat costs 60,000 reals (about $28,000), whereas a coat made of cashmere with only short sleeves covered with sable costs 15,200 reals (just over $7,000).

Beccari said showcasing Fendi’s calling card — its savoir-faire and creativity in fur — is key, and he expects Brazilian clients to be appreciative of its craftsmanship.

The 3,800-square-foot unit will showcase Fendi’s complete women’s offering in a boutique design echoing its Rome palazzo with Navona travertine walls and lava stone floors. One wall of the store exalts its Selleria leather goods, with their hand-stitched details. The shopping complex is open seven days a week until 10 p.m.

The Brazilian population’s penchant for color and fantasy, and happy disposition, are also echoed “in the Fendi DNA,” Beccari added.

Enter Silvia Fendi, creative director of accessories and men’s wear: She lived in Brazil in the Eighties, between Rio de Janeiro and Buzios.

“It definitely had an important influence on my aesthetics, taste and vision as a designer,” she said, lauding the nation’s natural beauty and striking architecture by the likes of Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx. “I also appreciate the relaxed taste and attitude in Brazil that is not bourgeois and creatively informal, very similar to that of Rome.”

Fendi’s passion for the country extends to the design of her home in Rome, where she re-created a “Brazilian atmosphere,” prizing open spaces and large windows with views onto tropical gardens.

A trip to Rio last Christmas inspired Fendi’s designs for the fall collection, specifically the tropical birds she discovered at a friend’s home.

“You can see this influence in the furry creatures that decorate the bags, and the furry Baguettes,” she said.

In tandem with the Brazil boutique, Fendi plans to extend last year’s celebration of the Baguette’s 15th birthday with a month-long “Baguettemania” exhibition, open to the public. Among the styles on display will be one-of-a-kind Fendi bags made in collaboration with Brazilian artists Leda Catunda, Nelson Leirner, Nina Pandolfo, Rodolpho Parigi and Isay Weinfeld.

During the store’s opening party tonight, the bags will be sold via silent auction, with proceeds benefiting the charity Verde Escola, which promotes environmental awareness.

In the boutique, Fendi plans to sell limited-edition Baguettes, each made of dyed shearling color-blocked to evoke the Brazilian flag, along with a limited-edition Brazil scarf with a butterfly motif.

Fendi has been present in Brazil via wholesale clients since the Nineties, but it will now concentrate on distribution through the flagship, where it is able to offer elite personal service and showcase its produce range.

Beccari said finding the ideal location was key. The open-air, multilevel Cidade Jardim — organized around a leafy central atrium, with wooden ceiling fans among its design features — boasts an array of international luxury brands, including Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Valentino.

“The mall is very high luxury: You breathe luxury when you enter,” he said.

The executive didn’t rule out further expansion in Brazil, but said the immediate focus would be to cultivate the business in São Paulo.

Fendi is also present in Venezuela, Paraguay and Argentina via multibrand stores and franchise partners.

Latest Galleries

FREE ALERTS & NEWSLETTERS

Social Studies

In yet another fashion show shuffle, @elleryland is moving its show in sync with the Paris couture calendar — though the brand is still keeping one foot on the city’s ready-to-wear schedule. Their runway show in January will coincide with the launch of a new strategy: designing two main collections each year instead of four, which will then be released in four drops. “As we all know, the system needs to change. We need to show sooner to give time back to artisans and designers to do what they do best — create,” said founder Kym Ellery. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)

@maxmara’s classic 101801 coat was the cornerstone of its pre-fall 2018 collection. The design team expanded the traditional double-breasted, kimono-sleeved style into a trapeze coat, lean belted styles and a peacoat and presented them in monochromatic looks – like the camel one pictured here. #wwdfashion #prefall18 (📷: George Chinsee)

The @cfda has shifted the dates of #NYFW, with Men’s showing on February 5 through February 7, and Women’s will directly follow, running from February 8 through 14. The preliminary schedule will be released on the CFDA’s web site in the next few days, but Mark Beckham, VP of marketing for the CFDA, revealed that @rafsimons will be back to close the men’s-specific part of the week with a show on February 7 #wwdfashion (📷: Kelly Taub)

@ferragamo is introducing a new space dedicated to the development of women’s and men’s leather good samples. The laboratory, which is created eco-friendly materials and designed to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing processes, will allow the company to expand its accessories offering through traditional artisanal approaches. #wwdfashion (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)

How does a “regular, degular, schmegular” girl from the Bronx, N.Y., become a Grammy-nominated artist with a certified platinum record in less than a year? Call it the @iamcardib come up. The 25-year-old has become a musical sensation, and the fashion world is taking note. “If I could describe her style I would say drama. She’s really into the dramatics,” says Cardi B’s stylist @kollincarter. See how Carter styles her bold and out there looks with the link in bio. #wwdfashion

“There is no formula. There is no guideline. I can watch Ted Talks all day, but there is no one who can advise me on exactly what it is I should be doing,” said @ronniefieg, CEO of @kith, in an interview with WWD’s @ariahughes at the brand’s new SoHo office in Manhattan. Head to WWD.com to see how Fieg went from hanging out in shoe stockrooms at 13 to building his own business. #wwdfashion (📷: @weston.wells)

@fearofgod and @maxfieldla have teamed up on a pop-up installation. The store, located in the gallery space across from Maxfield’s Melrose Ave location, is the site of the brand’s House of God pop-up in which Fear of God founder @jerrylorenzo has created a church-inspired installation. A dozen vintage church pews sit in front of an LED screen playing 90s gospel singers in an effort to re-create an environment akin to a Southern Baptist Church, Lorenzo explained. Read more about the pop-up on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Jennifer Johnson)

Known for his sleek, sophisticated American glamour, Norman Norell is the subject of an upcoming exhibition at @fitnyc. “Norell: Dean of American Fashion,” which runs from February 9 through April 14, will feature approximately 100 ensembles and accessories. His best work is exemplified by the designer’s glittering “mermaid” gowns frosted with thousands of hand-sewn sequins – like the one pictured. (📷: William Helburn) #wwdfashion

For pre-fall 2018, @balmain didn’t let go of the glitz. A crystal embroidered baseball jacket priced at around $40,000 hangs in the “couture” section of the brand’s first men’s pre-collection. Sporting the words “Balmain Army” across the back, the item took around two months to make. “When it was completed, it was like Christmas, it was like, ‘It’s done, it’s exactly what I wanted,’” said Balmain’s creative director @olivier_rousteing during a tour of the collection in a Paris showroom on Monday. #wwdfashion